Contents

History

September 30th.1913. During a voyage from Changsha to Hankow near Castle island at the approach to Tungting Lake, just upstream of Yochow, a large number of armed soldiers in sampans was noticed ahead of the Siangtan who by their actions, indicated that the Siangtan should come to stop. The Master, Alfred Torrible, deciding against coming to a halt, hoisted the British flag, the engines were run up to maximum speed, proceeded on his course. When the Siangtan came abreast of the soldiers in the sampans, the soldiers opened fire with their rifles in an attempt to stop the Siangtan. No injuries were sustained by those on the Siangtan, the only damaged incurred being holes in the funnel etc. from rifle fire.

November 30th. 1927. Boarded and looted by pirates 15 to 20 miles below Ichang. Master kidnapped by pirates.

December 8th.1941. Captured, while berthed at Ichang, in a sabotaged condition by the Japanese troops. Subsequently taken downstream for repairs.

June 1942. Commissioned as the "Kinko Maru" for military use.

September 1944. Bombed and sunk by U.S. aircraft off Hankow.

Service

Shallow draught vessel built for trade at Ichang, the upper Yangtse river and Tungting lakes.

Events / Stories

Nov 30th. 1927. Whlie anchored about 16 miles downstream from Ichang, for engine repairs, the "Siangtan" was attacked and seized by about 30 ( one report stated 100) Chinese bandits/pirates in six sampans who surrounded the vessel firing at random, killing the second engineer, a quartermaster, one of the compradores staff, and two Chinese passengers. The master, Captain William Goggan Lalor after suffering a leg wound being taken prisoner. The pirates took Captain Lalor (William Goggan Lalor) as a hostage and about $20,000 in loot. They demanded $100,000 for the release of Captain Lalor, this amount being later reduced to $60.000, and threatened to kill him if any attempt was made to rescue him. Negotiations between the Commander of H.M.S. Aphis, and the Chinese military authorities under General Yat Sen were arranged to attack the bandits, and the two gun boats "Gnat" and "Bee" proceeded to the scene. After a short skirmish the naval force boarded the "Siangtan" and released Captain Lalor, who was then taken aboard one of the gunboats for treatment to his wound. Strangely enough it was the same General Yang Sen who was in command of the troops who held him prisioner at Wanshien the previous year, when he was Captain of the Wanliu I